Though not nearly as big a draw as last year’s classic, the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry delivered strong numbers for ESPN.
Saturday’s Michigan/Michigan State college football game had a 3.1 overnight rating on ESPN, up 19% from Mississippi/Auburn last year (2.6) and up 41% from Texas/Kansas State in 2014 (2.2). The 3.1 is the second-highest of the season on ESPN, behind only Mississippi/Florida State on Labor Day (5.3).
The Wolverines’ win also earned the second-highest college football overnight of the weekend, trailing only Clemson/FSU on ABC’s Saturday Night Football (3.6).
Saturday’s game was no match for last year’s meeting between the rivals, when both were in the Top 25 and Michigan State won on a fumbled punt (5.1). That game aired in a later window (3:30 PM ET as opposed to Noon) and was expected to be close. With the Spartans unranked and struggling this season, this year’s game had significantly less hype.
Later in the day, Northwestern/Ohio State scored a 2.5 overnight — up 39% from Oklahoma State/Texas Tech last year (1.8) and up 108% from West Virginia/Oklahoma State in 2014 (1.2).
Rounding out ESPN’s Big Ten tripleheader, the primetime Wisconsin/Nebraska matchup had a 2.1 overnight (-9%). That game faced competition from both Clemson/FSU on ABC and Game 4 of the World Series on FOX (10.5).
(Wknd. numbers from ESPN)
